Remember though…….. What is truly important is that you find PERSONAL meaning is these sorts of lists, and suggestions and other simple thoughts.  It gets you nowhere, of course…..if MY idea of passion and purpose doesn’t resonate with YOU at all. 

We’re all ultimately individuals….and we each have very personal passions, or plans or even, depending on what you believe, reasons for being here at all..:-)  So use these guidelines as a gentle reminder….and a friendly nudge (or shove if you need it) that achieving MORE, while staying happy, positive and truly content, often is MUCH easier to do then the self help "guru’s" want you to believe!

Check out the full article at the link below…..with all 12 tips free for all!  Enjoy..:-)

2. It is impossible to improve if you do not accept that you alone are responsible for your station in life. No matter what your circumstances, you choose your response to what comes your way. By accepting this and deciding to live the very best life possible, regardless of external influences, you are making a giant leap toward a fantastic life.

3. Live a life of integrity.Awhile back, I wrote about how doing the right thing is a cornerstone of the good life. So much of what we accomplish in life is centered around how well we build relationships. If you don’t live with integrity, then chances are your relationships will not stand the test of time. There is no way around it. The truth almost always comes to light and if you are being deceitful, then there will be consequences to pay.

4. Achieve Freedom from debt.When we owe other people money, we become a partial slave to them. A portion of our effort goes toward paying them back. Our choices in life are reduced because we have a commitment to repay the debt. We become tied to it. Are you really free or are you a slave? Freedom is the path to a good life. I recently paid off all my debt except for my mortgage. It feels good to be free!

A Dozen Tips On How To Live A Deeper And More Meaningful Life | My Super-Charged Life

Is this the meaning of my life?  The purpose I was "put" here for?  Am I pursuing my passion…….or even if I’m not, am I truly satisfied and "full" with what’s on my proverbial plate? Man’s (or woman’s..:-) search for meaning surely isn’t new, right? 

But have the things that truly offer us the kind of contentment, and sense of satisfaction changed over the past half century….or MORE, or have they simply made the elusive idea of inner (and authentic) peace that much more remote?  (no pun intended..:-)

A lot of what we focus on here now, and in the future, is going to be in the odd, exotic and yet amazingly ordinary idea that authentic meaning is MUCH easier to achieve than many people believe. 

It’s always there….seemingly a deep breathe away.…but for so many of us, a level of personal satisfaction and peace we never quite manage to wrap our hands (or our minds) completely around.

I found this story from "Self" magazine pretty telling…..and how often the austerity of the simple life holds the key to true creative and spiritual freedom.  Check it out at the link below….and share your thoughts at in the comments below, we’d love to hear what you think!

Judy happens to be single, childless and in her 40s. Suddenly, I pictured her locked in her lonely room conjuring fantasies in which the man of her dreams appears on one of the wooded paths (poof!) with two bright-faced kids in tow.

Then an e-mail from her flashed across my screen: "You can stop looking. I have found the meaning of life." Apparently, "poor Judy" had simply been too blissed-out to check in. No cooking, no cleaning, no distractions from the work she loves, plus a group of talented pals to drink and schmooze with after hours. A man? The pitter-patter of little feet? She wasn’t missing it.

As I stared at the screen, I had to wonder……

How to live a more meaningful life: Health: Self.com

Do you manufacture your OWN luck?  Or do you think the whole idea of luck as an instrument of achievement or success is simply silly to even discuss?  The truth about luck…and the part it plays in your ability to achieve what you want out of life (or even love!) has been debated by many….with most seemingly "smart" types buying into the idea that luck is simply a losers crutch for explaining away WHY they don’t get the sort of stuff they believe they should.

Not so FAST……says Richard Wiseman, a leading UK scientist and a hard core SKEPTIC of many things NOT provable by science. 

(note:  Wiseman is a leading de-bunker of all things psychic, and paranormal) 

In the pretty remarkable series of experiments below, Wiseman seems to show that LUCk is actually a byproduct of attitude. 

How you think….truly CAN influence the sorts of results you see in a whole creative cornucopia of areas we ordinarily measure achievement….and you have to take a closer look at some of the specific experiments (and their surprising results) to truly "get" how this works. 

(I’m a big believer in the idea that you DO attract into your life the sort of stuff you focus on most…and for many of you who agree, this should NOT be a surprise!  But for lots of the cynics, the skeptics and the negative Nellie’s out there, one of your "own" seems to suggest that you CAN create your own LUCK…and to live an extraordinary, and interesting life it’s a good idea to start trying today!)

Check out the full article at the link below….and enjoy!

Take the case of chance opportunities. Lucky people consistently encounter such opportunities, whereas unlucky people do not. I carried out a simple experiment to discover whether this was due to differences in their ability to spot such opportunities.I gave both lucky and unlucky people a newspaper, and asked them to look through it and tell me how many photographs were inside. On average, the unlucky people took about two minutes to count the photographs, whereas the lucky people took just seconds. Why? Because the second page of the newspaper contained the message: "Stop counting. There are 43 photographs in this newspaper." This message took up half of the page and was written in type that was more than 2in high. It was staring everyone straight in the face, but the unlucky people tended to miss it and the lucky people tended to spot it. For fun, I placed a second large message halfway through the newspaper: "Stop counting. Tell the experimenter you have seen this and win £250." Again, the unlucky people missed the opportunity because they were still too busy looking for photographs.Personality tests revealed that unlucky people are generally much more tense than lucky people, and research has shown that anxiety disrupts people’s ability to notice the unexpected. In one experiment, people were asked to watch a moving dot in the centre of a computer screen. Without warning, large dots would occasionally be flashed at the edges of the screen. Nearly all participants noticed these large dots.

Be lucky – it’s an easy skill to learn – Telegraph

There is really truly NO "flagship" phrase that I can think of…..that properly sums up the search for personal meaning, quite so eloquently as Joseph Cambell’s classic mandate for a life of TRUE and authentic passion and purpose.

What is YOUR bliss?  It doesn’t need to be mine…..or your neighbors, or even the same as your spouse, children or co-worker’s as well..:-) That is the beauty of bliss, don’t you think? 

It’s completely subjective.  And personal.  And amazingly liberating when you uncover it…..either through action, or intention. Here is a nice, short article we found that sort of captures the steps one needs to take (or make) to find out what REALLY pushes their passion buttons.  And to remind themselves that the simple path to getting there, is often FAR easier (and more fun) than many of us realize!  Share your "bliss" with us in the comments section below….and you can read the full article at the blog link after the jump!

Relying On Yourself To Figure It Out We know that many people think they will someday stumble upon their bliss. But figuring out your potential is not taught in most schools. And few parents (old page), teachers (old page) or bosses know how to help.No one else can know what makes your heart leap, keeps you up reading late into the night, or draws you to it like a magnet. So you need to put yourself in the driver’s seat and take control of your search for your bliss.Keep RE:minding* Yourself It Is Never Too LateYour whole life is ahead of you — even if you are retired or in the middle of your career. By any calculations even if your life is half over, there is still another half to be lived. Right now is the time to start improving your life. So why not take a few baby steps and see what you can find? Realizing You Are Not The Only OneMillions of people all over the world graduate from high school, get up and go to work each day, and retire only a vague idea of what they really want to do with their life. Yet, everyone of them had childhood dreams of greatness, and most still think about what they would do if they no longer had to earn a paycheck.So you are not alone if you are still searching for something more extraordinary out of life.

Article: Follow Your Bliss … A Step by Step Guide

It never ceases to astound me, in my own life, what the simple act of being thankful, and mindful - of what I DO have, can change just about any problem into an obstacle that feels it can be overcome. 

Our lives are truly all so rich…..with so many things to be thankful for.  No matter how much seems to be wrong with the world "out there", there is always a private place – a resevouir of strength, and perseverance, that awaits inside of us all.  And for me…..accessing that space is easiest when I focus on that which I DO have….and not that which I have lost.  (or never had to begin with..:-) Here is a nice little story, told about Helen Keller, on the attitude of gratitude.  (and all that we miss when we aren’t mindful of the blessings we’ve already got..:-)  Check out the full article, at the link below the post.

One day Helen Keller — blind, deaf, and for many years speechless — said: "Recently I asked a friend who had just returned from a long walk in the woods what she had observed. ‘Nothing in particular’ was the reply. How is it possible, I asked myself, to walk for an hour through the woods and see nothing worthy of note? I, who cannot see, find hundreds of things to interest me through mere touch. I who am blind and deaf can give a word to those of you who can see. Use your eyes as if tomorrow you would be stricken blind. Hear the music of voices, the song of birds, the mighty strains of an orchestra as if you would be stricken deaf tomorrow . . . Smell the perfume of flowers, taste with relish each morsel as if tomorrow you could never smell and taste again."

Gratitude: A Key to Success and Happiness

I always find this question such a hard one to define.  What is a "dream" life, anyway?  Doesn’t a life of fulfillment require sacrifice, and giving up some of the dreams of our youth?  Responsibilities intercede…..kids arrive, schoolwork, mortgage payments, balloon payments, tuition payments and before you know it, you’re dream is really a life of indebted servitude focused around paying off debts and planning a week in the Bahamas around the New Year..:-)

  I say not.  I believe you can live a passionate, purposeful and amazingly engaging (and adventurous) life regardless of your responsibilities.  No matter if you have 5 kids or none.  No matter how big your budget. 

They rarely take time you can afford to invest.  And they ALWAYS are the sorts of things you WILL regret later…..when they remain undone.  Here is a short little article on setting up and delivering on your own dreams.  (and a short little list of items you can do to make them happen) Ask yourself better questions in 2010.  (and get to making your OWN list while you’re at it..:-)

What is your dream? What would you love to do with your life if you had the time and resources?  Travel? Volunteer work? A craft or hobby?Knowing your dream and living it–this is the whole purpose behind simplifying your life. By knowing your dream, you have a powerful motivator to make changes in your life. By starting to have pieces of your dream, your life takes on a joy that makes the sacrifices of simplicity worth it.This is where the simplicity work gets exciting–without your dream, my suggestions for simplicity might be just empty directives. But in all the work of this book, you are arranging your life and clearing out its clutter so that your dream can have room to live. This section gives you ideas for stating, supporting, and unleashing your dream.State your dreamWhat I mean by dream is your heart’s desire–what you truly want to do. Your dream may be to work in a certain profession or live in a particular place. Or your dream might involve simple things: to have more time to work in your garden, spend more time with family or friends, or have time for walks or to read books.The first step in living your dream is to discover and express it. * Find your dream * Express your dream

Live Simple: Live your dream

 

Are you living your very best life? So many of us aren’t.  We settle for less.  We scrimp on the sort of stuff that our "soul" lusts, craves and CRY’S out for at it’s deepest level.  In just about all of the articles we’ve written across MANY different self empowerment and improvement areas, NOTHING is more sensitive and more supercharged that the topic of authentic identity. Why?

Because as our lives evolve, we tend to push stuff down.  We sacrifice.  We give.  We martyr ourselves for a higher purpose…..be it a job, a relationship or even our families. And we justify it – if we LOVE our kids, for example, it’s considered "okay" to deprive the deepest parts of your spiritual self the "soul food" it craves, right?

I say wrong.  I say there is actually NO greater disservice you can do to the lives of those you love, than to "shrink" your life to fit into the sort of box that exists ONLY to serve.  It’s not natural.  It’s not nurturing.  And ULTIMATELY…..it’s not giving your best to anyone around you at all.

So what are the keys to re-framing, re-invigorating and renewing your commitment to living a life of purpose and passion?

1 – Be honest.  Be direct.   Look yourself in the mirror….literally or figuratively. What were you put here to accomplish?  What would you contribute if you COULD live the life you truly want to live?  Would you make more money?  Would you be a better parent?  What would be important to you, IF?  The process of asking questions if often the most liberating, freeing and ferociously illumining process of self realization (and actualization) that you can have.  And all it takes is to begin a dialog with the ONE person you probably NEVER truly talk to anymore:  Yourself..:-)

2 – Make a Commitment (and start small) I love the idea of simply setting aside time for doing things that electrify you.  That energize you. That make you feel amazingly alive.  I don’t care if it’s painting, yoga, reading a book, (writing a book!) playing tennis or simply making love to your partner. Whatever it is that truly awakens your senses in subtle, sensual and sensational ways….are the sorts of things that empower you to live LARGER. 

The more simple windows you open into the infinite and abundant passion for LIFE you have been holding back, the easier it becomes to fill more and more time with the stuff you love!  (without compromising on the things, or the people who need you as well) I promise….it not only gets EASIER with practice, your life will improve in explosively powerful new ways!  (these and other simple strategies have worked wonders for me….and I’m hoping it does the very same for you!)

What do do they mean? 

Are you finding yourself curious about what your dreams REALLY say (if anything) about the true nature of your personality. Your fears.  Your hopes.  Your authentic self, absent the sort of filters we all construct when we’re awake. Or, as others LOVE to argue……are they simple subliminal hiccups of a slumbering brain…..that are as meaningless as the story or script of your favorite fantasy, fiction or bid budget movie? It amazes me how many people truly don’t study their dreams.  Maybe they don’t remember them.  Or care to think of them at all when they awake.  But for me…and I dare say many of YOU who are reading this article right now, the simple truth is that your DREAMS are a harbinger of hope, and a pointer to the PASSION and purpose that gives your life true meaning and value.

The Best Way to Understand Your Dreams is To Record Them

This is where you must begin.  Write them down.  Think about what you’ve written.  Look for meaning in the malaise!  You’d be surprised at just how revealing your dreams become when looked at under the microscope of an analytical eye. The formless begets form!  And you can often see what looked to be odd, exotic or even outrageous ideas to be genuine windows into the what you truly WISH to be doing with your life. Remember this to be true, because it is:

1. Some of the best inventions came from dreams.
2. Some of the smartest insights were gleaned from dreams.
3. And some of the most magical, mysterious and mystical moments in human history were deciphered from dreams.  (as just about every religious tradition finds it’s philosophy rooted within the magical realms of the mind that’s FREE to dream!)

Check out our free dream software.…and let us know what you’ve discovered about YOUR dreams!

Have you learned anything new? Unlocked any mystery……MAGIC, or gotten any momentum in YOUR life?  (I find that once I find out what’s HOLDING me back……it’s far easier to fall forward..:-) We’re curious what’s happening for you?

What do YOUR dreams say about who you are…..and how can you USE what you "see" when your eyes are closed…..to serve your life in the most positive and powerful way going forward?

Let us know – we’re curious! And we’ve got some other great, cool tools that we’ll be letting you know about in the days, weeks and months to come….so keep your eyes peeled for those as well!